With the inexplicable death last week of beloved Dorothy Galloway, our community has again been rocked by a very public death.

In truth, you need only skim the pages of this newspaper’s obituary page to be reminded that people die every day. And what is remarkable to me is how ill-equipped and ill-prepared we are when it is our turn to learn to live with the death of someone we love.

We act as if somehow, some way, through some extra-special magical powers that only we possess, we will be the one immune from death — ours and of the people we love. And as a result, most don’t have a clue. Not a single clue.

When it’s our turn to face death head-on. We don’t know how to help ourselves, and we certainly don’t know how help and comfort and support those around us who have been touched by the death of someone they love dearly.

Not after the second week, when the cards and casseroles stop coming. We don’t know how to heal. So we don’t.

At 7 p.m. Monday, I’ll present “Helping Others Heal: A Person-Centered Approach” as part of Rockford University’s Fall Forum Series. It’s free, but you must call the box office, 815-226-4100, to reserve a ticket.

You should attend if you’re a living, breathing human being.

You should attend if you are living with loss of any kind (death, divorce, job, house, health, youth) and are looking for concrete tools to help you navigate the wilderness of grief.

You should attend if you are a family member or friend of a person who is grieving and you want to learn how to help and support them effectively.

You should attend if you are a support person — doctor, nurse, social worker, therapist or counselor, priest or minister — looking for ways to more effectively help your patients/clients/congregants heal from loss of any kind.

I’ve learned a thing or two about grief and death and, most certainly, life over the past 20-plus years. This is my opportunity to share it with you.

Tom Zuba is a life coach, author and speaker offering tools, knowledge and wisdom to people living with loss to create a full, joy-filled life. In 1990, Tom’s 18-month-old daughter, Erin, died suddenly. His 43-year-old wife, Trici, died equally as suddenly on New Year’s Day 1999, and his 13-year-old son, Rory, died from brain cancer in 2005. Tom and his son, Sean, are exploring life one day at a time in Rockford. Visit TomZuba.com, facebook.com/tomzuba1 and follow TomZuba on Twitter.